Reports + Research
Mesa Biotech Raises $20 Million for Portable Diagnostics
The series B financing was announced in a corporate update. The company has a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing platform for “point-of-care infectious disease diagnosis.” The company is developing products for respiratory infectious disease, sexually transmitted diseases, and women’s health.
UC San Diego Researchers Spin Out Oxitope Based on “Oxidation Hypothesis”
UCSD researchers cofounded Oxitope after publishing three papers connecting oxidized lipids and inflammation in atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, and ischemia injury. The research restarts interest in the oxidation hypothesis of heart disease and provides positive preclinical studies testing a possible therapeutic antibody treatment approach. The company plans to further develop a monoclonal antibody that selectively targets oxidized forms of lipids.
UCSD and UCLA Lead the UC System in Commercializing Inventions
UCSD and UCLA produced 20 new companies each in fiscal year 2017, the UC President’s Office said, “sharing the first-place position for startup formation across the entire system.” The University of California’s Technology Commercialization Report noted that innovations in the 10-campus UC system led to 96 commercial startups for the year. Inventions at UCSD have led to more than 770 companies, 860 US patents and 1,010 foreign patents, and 400 active commercial licenses. These innovations have helped to create some 29,200 jobs and generated $32.4 billion in economic impact to the San Diego region, based on the estimated annual sales of active UCSD-related companies.
Read + Listen
POW! Podcast of the Week
This week, KPBS Midday Edition takes a look at how we almost stopped climate change in the 1980s and what we can learn now from those efforts.
Events
It’s Happening Here
August 16
San Diego Venture Group’s Venture Summit 2018, the largest annual gathering of VCs in Southern California, will take place Thursday, August 16 from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Hilton San Diego Bayfront.
August 22
Biocom CFO Breakfast Series: Strategic Partnerships will take place the morning of August 22 at The Alexandria at Torrey Pines.
August 25
23rd Annual Symphony at Salk will play August 25 under the stars.
August 29
Biocom DeviceFest & Digital Health Conference convenes August 29 at The Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa.
Tags: Biotech, Biotech Briefing, Blogs, Innovation, Medical Research, Startups, UCSD